What You Can Do With a WGS Major

“This looks like FUN! But what can I do with a Women’s and Gender Studies major?”

A degree in Women’s and Gender Studies prepares you for almost anything. Majoring in Women’s and Gender Studies is a relatively new option for American college students. It’s an interdisciplinary course of study that introduces students to hidden histories, explores complex social structures, confronts injustice and oppression, and hones the skills of citizens of the future. Above all, it helps students understand themselves. But how does all of this translate to a career?

What Employers Want

Employers often seek out liberal arts graduates, knowing that a liberal arts education emphasizes critical thinking, writing, and presentation skills. A liberal arts degree shows an employer that you have studied a wide variety of topics and probably have a broader view of the world than other applicants. A Women’s and Gender Studies major provides all of these benefits and more:

Expertise in finding and using information on contemporary social issues

An understanding of differences of gender, sexuality, race, culture, and social class

Insight into the connections among different forms of oppression

A foundation for analyzing inequities and initiating change

This preparation in critical thinking and social awareness is also excellent background for students pursuing graduate and professional degrees.

Real People, Real Jobs

What kind of job can you get with a major in Women’s and Gender Studies? When Barbara Luebke and Mary Ellen Reilly researched this question in 1995, they found Women’s Studies graduates working in a variety of fields—including the arts, business and industry, education, health care, the media, politics, law, social work, psychology, and sports.

They found Women’s and Gender Studies graduates holding the following jobs:

Administrator of a human services department

Advocate for victims of domestic violence and hate crimes

Artist

Associate director of a human rights organization

Business owner

Clergy

Communications consultant

Congressional aide

Coordinator of a women’s health clinic

Director of social service agency

Executive director of a foundation

Film production assistant

Flight instructor

Journalist

Law enforcement officer

Librarian

Manager of energy conservation

Musician

Novelist

Nurse practitioner

Physician

Professor

Program director of a rape crisis center

Psychologist

Psychotherapist

Public health educator

Public relations director

Social worker

Teacher

Theater staff

Town manager

Union organizer

“As a WGS major, I targeted 2 companies when I graduated and received job offers from both companies. Each of my interviewers were interested in what exactly a degree in WGS entailed and saw my degree as versatile not to mention interesting and bold. I accepted a position as a Human Resources Analyst within the HR Development Program with Merrill Lynch with an excellent starting salary.” Katherine Engle, class of 2004 The College of New Jersey

Women’s and Gender Studies at the College of New Jersey

At TCNJ, you can major in Women’s and Gender Studies (WGS) by taking 10 approved courses or minor with 5 courses. WGS also offers 4 concentrations. All of these courses of study combine readily with other majors. If you add one math and one science course, the WGS major and concentrations also fulfill your liberal learning requirements. In addition to the WGS courses, these interdisciplinary programs include courses in fourteen departments: African American Studies, Anthropology, Art, Communications, Economics, English, History, Honors, Law and Justice, Modern Languages, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology.

The Possibilities Are Widening

Today, as more women work, corporations need employees who understand gendered issues in the workplace–issues such as sexual harassment, flex-time, parental leave, pay equity, and equal employment opportunities. The demand for expertise on gender issues is growing in the professions of law, medicine, nursing, social work, teaching, counseling, and government service. Women’s studies specialists are increasingly sought out as consultants in education and industry. And women’s agencies and organizations are adding to the demand for graduates in Women’s and Gender Studies as they take on ever more critical roles, both internationally and within local communities.

Most importantly, Women’s and Gender Studies graduates report that their education has given them the support and courage they needed to pursue their dreams.